A Duel Existence
by DecendentofGallifrey
Summary: A girl orphaned by the Attack on Manhattan offers herself up as bait in the fight against the angry Trickster God and gets a few . . . . unexpected . . . . surprises out of the deal. Loki/OC AU Rated T just to be safe. I do not own the Avengers or its characters. (It'd be nice though)
1. Chapter 1

The water surrounded me. Or at least it felt like water, like I was floating in a vast black pool. I'm not exactly sure how I got into this certian situation, but I do know that if I don't break surface soon I'll die. That's a strange thought to actually have. I might die. Huh, who knew the thought would feel so matter of fact.

I dimmly felt someone touch my face. Someone was gasping. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but my body wasn't responding to me. Huh, was I already dead? I sorta felt like I could float away any second. There wasn't much pain just that slight floaty feeling.

"What the hell?" Someone's voice was very loud and near me. "We shouldn't have used her!" I swear I had heard this voice before. Something touched my throat. "No vital signs." This voice was rough, mean.

_But I'm here._ I tried to speak but nothing really came out of my lips. Did I have enough air to say it...did I have any air?

"Move!" This voice was commanding. Something slammed agianst my chest. _Stop._ I said, but once again there was no voice. I could hardly feel what was happening to my body, there was no pain. Just this sense that I should leave now. I could float away from this place and into something better. I could choose. I felt air being pushed into my unresponsive lungs. The pounding on my chest agian.

"Steve, she's dead. Let her go." A smoother voice said.

"Why the hell did you use a young girl as bait?!" The mean voice yelled.

The pounding continued.

"Steve." This voice was soft, calming. "She's gone...it's not your fault."

"No!" Something pounded even harder, and I felt a jolt. The floaty feeling began to dissapear, and in it's place I could feel more and more of my body. _Stop it!_ I wanted to scream. _Let me leave now, I'm ready to float away!_ But the pounding was pulling me back, jolt by jolt, into my damaged body. I could feel it now, the want of my heart to beat.

"Steve!" This voice was very formal. The pounding stopped, but my heart still strained to beat. I could ignore it, and float away or I could claw myself back to the surface. Time to choose.

"What have we done?" The commanding voice sounded broken.

"She said she didn't have any family." The smooth voice said. "She said he killed the last of them. She knew what she was getting herself into. At least we don't have to notify next of kin." The joke fell flat, and the voice that said it sounded more sad than anything else.

"She trusted us to save her!" The commanding voice shouted.

Who were these voices? Should I stay to find out? My time was almost up. Time. To. Choose. I wanted to see the faces that went with the voices. _I choose to live._ And just like that I began fighting the warm darkness that covered me. I had to get back to them. My chest was sore, but my stomach hurt so badly. It burned, it felt like I had been struck by lightning. I couldn't hear anymore, just could fight against the darkness that threatened to crush me. It was no longer comforting. _No._

I gasped suddenly, feeling the wonderful rush that air provided. Something touched me agian and I batted the hand away. I opened my eyes to see seven pairs of eyes staring at me in shock. I tried to sit up but whimpered when the pain truly hit me. It was horrible, I should have stayed in the darkness. One of the people who was dressed in red white and blue bent down. I automatically shied away, causing myself to gasp in pain once more.

"Please don't touch me." My voice was breathy. The darkness was coming back, it was threatening to drag me under."What happened?"

"My brother shot you." The formal voice belonged to a very pretty muscled man with long blonde hair. Kinda like my hair.

"Fury, we need a ambulance!" The red white and blue one called. A black man with an eyepatch looked towards the red white and blue man.

"Already on route." Was his clipped reply.

"Hey!" A gentle looking man with curly hair said to me. "You can't sleep right now."

"I was dead." I said softly. "I'm still close." I added. It hurt to talk.

"Don't worry, Kid." That was a man with an odd type of goatee. "We got you."

"Way to joke about a dead girl's dead parents, Jerk." I gasped out. I reached out to grasp my side where a horrible burning pain was, and a few hands shot out to stop me, I hit marred flesh and the slickness of blood. My world blurred and began to turn black. Parts of me were missing on my side.

"Stay with us!" That was an order. My eyes shot open to look at the red white and blue clad man.

"I can't really remember anything." I said my voice so weak it was pathetic. "I can't remember your names."

"That's the shock." The curly brown haired one said. "My name is Bruce Banner."

"Steve Rogers." The commanding one said. His eyes were beyond us, I could hear other people in the background now. We weren't alone.

"Tony Stark." The goatee man said.

"Agent Hawkeye." A man clad in all black said. I looked at him confused. He sighed. "Clint Barton."

"Natasha Romanoff." A red-haired beauty said. I smiled at her.

"Thor Odinson." The pretty blonde man boomed.

"Nick Fury." Was the rough one's responce. "Don't call me Nick."

"To be fair I should be able to call you what I want." I said, but my voice was hardly there. "After all I am dying for you all."

"Don't talk like that." Steve's eyes were on me now. I could feel something now, deep down in the marrow of my bones. Something new and painful that was zinging it's way through my system. I had never felt this before.

"Something's wrong." I gasped out. I saw Steve's eyes go to someone, and I followed his gaze and saw pure green eyes looking back at me. "You." I couldn't even hear my voice, but the man with the giant muzzle and green eyes quirked one black brow at me. "You know what's going on with me." I could almost feel the smirk he gave me behind his mask.

Something alien was blossoming in my chest, and it was beginning to grow and encompase my entire body. I tried not to scream.

"What's going on with her?" Steve suddenly spat at the green eyed man. I must have actually screamed. The man gave a look as if to say _I can't really talk at the moment_. I actually heard that in my head.

"Well it's obvious you can't talk." I told the black haired one. Another quirked brow.

_You can hear me can you?_ I simply nodded. _You are going to die filthy little Midgardian._ He added a hard look entering his eyes.

"At least I can die with pride." I whispered.

"Stop saying that you'll be fine!" Steve insisted crouching next to me.

_Your vital signs are fading as we speak._ I forced my gaze to Steve, and gave him a weak smile. "You're right, I'm feeling better already." _Liar._ Steve smiled and looked around.

"Will you be okay on your own for a second?" He asked.

_No._ "Yes." I said trying to rid my head of the mental messages the green eyed man was sending. _My name is Loki, not green eyed man._

"Why can I hear you?" I asked my breath hardly stirring the air.

_Because to kill you I sent a blast of magic, which is now attaching itself to your essence. You will die soon, no mortal can withstand obtaining magic._

"And how would you know?" I asked.

_Because, I have tested my theory multiple times._ He paused as if to let that sink in. _Your life is over little Midgardian. I hope you lived it well. _The last part was almost said in laughter.

Multiple times is what he said. I gasped as what I now knew as magic slammed through my right arm. I now had no control over it. I tried not to cry as the magic assalted my left arm. This was, at one time, all that I ever wanted. To gain magic. That and fly on the TARDIS, but that wasn't going to happen now.

_You shouldn't fight the pain. I'd rather hear your last screams._

"Get out of my head."

_You're the one picking up my thoughts. I am merely sending them out._ The others were gone now, it was just me laying alone with a snarky male voice in my head.

"Let me die in peace at least." My pleas were losing their strength.

_You could have let me rule this planet in peace, but instead you chose to become the bait to my ultimate demise. I will watch you suffer your last pathetic moments. _

"Pathetic?" A scream cut off what I was saying. It was my scream. The magic was moving fast now, slowly binding itself to me and in the process killing me. I was going to die.

_Yes._

"And to think," I panted, "that if I'm so pathetic...what must that make you?" I moaned in pain, and in the distance I heard sirens. They couldn't help me. "To be brought down by a pathetic Midgardian. Not even an Avenger. Just..." I couldn't go on, the world was blurring through my pain. Thought spiraled away from me and broke apart at the seams. It seemed that I was stuck like that for some time, then strange enough, some force pulled my thoughts back together agian.

_Just what exactly?_ Loki's voice echoed in my head.

I did not speak, I did not move. I could feel the pain heading to my heart. My head burst into radiating pain. I wanted to scream, but my body had abandoned me. I was being pushed into the water agian.

_You're almost dead, little Midgardian. Any last words?_

What would I want my last words to be? I hadn't even thought of that. Of all the years that I'd lived what would I want to say when my life was taken. What would I want the world to remember me by? I was wasting time I didn't have.

You were fantastic, and you know what? So was I.

I don't want to go.

Goodbye, Sweetie.

Oh what a little Whovian I really was. I forced my lips to move, with a feat of strength and will that I had never before been able to achieve.

"What seems like the end, is only the beginning." There, a quote from my own character, Ava. The only diffrence between us was power and upbringing. Alike even in death. But hers was only temporary. The pain hit my heart, and I closed my eyes one last time. Who knew, maybe something greater awaited me on the other side of this unimaginable darkness. Maybe an adventure.

Allons-y.

Something shocked me.

Agian with the shocking.

Really? Why won't people just leave me alone?

That one actually kind of hurt.

_I should hope so._

Was that who I thought it was?

_Sadly yes. Don't get used to this. I am only saving you because Thor is brandishing his hammer and yelling. And Banner is threatening to unleash the Hulk if I do not._

Another shock. Stop it.

_And have my head smashed? I'd rather not._

All about you is it?

_I do what I want._

This time a shock so big I was slammed into my body. I sat up gasping for air, eyes wide. Loki was kneeling next to me, his slender and cold hands resting on my neck and stomach. His muzzle was still on. I could still feel the smirk that came to his face.

"For the love of all that is holy leave me alone!" I screamed. His hands dropped. "Who do you think you are?"

_I am Loki, of Asgar-_

"I don't care **who** the hell you are. You had no right! First you kill me, then you listen to me suffer, and **then** to top it all off you **bring me back.**" And then without real thought I reared back and slapped him as hard as I possibly could. His head snapped to the side.

"**My brother has saved you!"** Thor boomed pulling me into a hug. I expected pain...but strange enough there wasn't any.

"Why are you hugging me? And why exactly did he save me?" Thor relased me after a moment. He held out a hand and I stood, frowning. Why wasn't my side hurting.

"Well Banner here threatened to smash him once more if he did not. And Thor threatened to hit him with his Hammer." Stark answered smiling in welcome at me. It was a strangely warm smile.

"**Mojlnir.**" Thor clarified showing me the legendary hammer.

_You will die soon._ Was Loki's input. I could already feel the ache.

"I'm still going to die. Loki said when he hit me and I didn't immediately die...the magic tried to attach to me." I said unsure.

"Attach?" Stark asked confused.

"It's trying to intigrate into my system but my system will crash if it does. Its already crashing."

"How do you know this?" Was Barton's question.

"Loki told me."

"How?" Natasha asked crouching beside me. "He has the muzzle on."

"Well that's how I sort of found out its true. I can talk to him, if he wants I can hear his thoughts."

"How do you know it wasnt a delusion." Steve asked with a frown.

"Oh for God's-Loki." I said turning to him. "When I turn around please hold up a number so I can prove this."

_Why should I?_

"Because if you don't then I swear to whatever religous figure you hold dear I will choke the life out of you myself."

_I don't take kindly to threats._

"And I don't take kindly to dying. Looks like we both have to deal."

There was a flare of pain, and I hunched over the smallest bit.

_I could enjoy this. Watching you die again. Then bringing you back once more just to see it happen agian._

"Or you could just let me die. I could just make them take you away from me."

_I would break free._

"It doen't seem like you've broken free yet. I think I'll take my chances. And why go through all this trouble for one petty little Midgardian?"

"Where did you hear that term?" That was Fury.

"Its what Loki called me when I was dying." I said with a shrug, that quickly turned to me falling as a flash of pain surged through me. Cold hands were suddenly keeping me on my feet. As soon as I gained my footing Loki backed away glaring at me.

_Reflex._

"I never would have guessed it was you being nice, so relexes sound about right." I growled at him.

"He's a villan he has no good in him." Was Banner's reply.

"Every villian is a hero in his own mind." I automatically retorted. More pain.

_Defending me?_ He asked, his voice was oddly controlled.

"Reflex." I hissed at him.

"Perhaps my father can help." Thor said for once not uber loud.

_No._

"**I can bring her with me to Asgard to save her life. If you so shall allow**." This Thor said to Fury. He watched me for a moment.

"She is under earth's protection." Fury said.

"**She is under my protection as well."** Thor said looking at me.

"Then do this to save her." Fury said.

I gasped trying hard to keep my footing under the pain.

"What about my opinon?" I asked. Loki then seemed to realize I didn't want to come, and his eyes suddenly grew bright. He pointed at his mask, and looked calmly at his brother.

Thor took it off slightly so that he could speak.

"Asgardian magic is now rewriting her entire body. She is becoming half Midgaridan and Half Asgardian. She is now one of our people as well. She has to come with us, we cannot leave our dead behind." Loki grinned like he just won at chess. His voice was actually quite nice. He didn't sound quite the same in my head. I turned away from him and looked at Fury, pleading. There was a snap as Thor replaced the muzzle.

"I'm not dead." I objected. "Wait...what do you mean half Asgardian?"

_My magic is changing you. You are becoming like us already. You will not survive the transformation, but you will be half of what I am._

"I'm becoming...half alien?" Was my horrifed reply.

_Technically yes._ Loki's eyes were alight with glee.

"I feel like the Doctor Donna." I said after a moment. Everyone looked at me confused. "Doctor Who refrence...you wouldn't understand."

_Does she die too?_

"Will you stop?" I snapped at Loki. Then I felt myself sway as pain once agian gripped my features. So it wasn't just attaching to me...it was changing my very chemical makeup. No wonder it hurt so much.

"**We must leave soon if she is to survive."** Thor said reaching out and steadying me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi There! Thank you for reading my story! Here's Chapter 2 for you guys. If you like it leave reviews. Anything you want to see happen go ahead and tell me. I might be able to fit it in. Thanks again!**

"**We must leave soon if she is to survive."** Thor said reaching out and steadying me. I leaned heavily against him. My strength was fading fast.

Fury watched us for a moment, then he gave permission with a slight tilt of his head.

"You better be right, Thor." Was all he said. He waved a hand at some agents who were holding a strange looking device. Thor grabbed one end and Loki grabbed the other end his eyes locked on me. Thor reached out and lightly guided my hand to the strange looking handle.

Time seemed to be moving slowly now as I tightened my fingers on the handle. I could feel a strange power buzzing against my hand. Thor turned the handle sharply, and I watched in fascination as the handle rotated and clicked into place. There was a short burst of power.

I was flying. Well...no flying isn't quite the right word. No it was more that we were falling. It was impossible. I felt like reaching out to touch the walls of dancing light but the pain assaulted me once more. Even a sight such as this was no match for it. I screamed, and hunched in on myself. I realized a moment too late that in my distress I had let go of the handle.

I went to scream for help, but the sound was snatched away. Then suddenly the ground rushed up to meet me. I tried to keep my footing, but instead found myself sprawled on the floor. Pain slammed through me again.

"Father." Thor's voice was the first thing I was aware of again. When the pain took me I lost all sense of self. I blinked and found that I was cradled in Thor's arms. Thor knelt, somehow keeping me in his arms as he did so. "I request that you save this girl."

I pulled my gaze away from Thor's arms and glanced around myself in awe. Never before had I seen such a sight. Everything was tinted with gold. The floor was darker gold with a pattern of intricate knots that I could spend weeks trying to follow.

"Who is this girl, my son?" A deep and wise voice responded. I felt my gaze being pulled upwards. I twisted in Thor's arms to be able to see and met the eyes of an older man. This man, though he had one eye, drew me out and sized me up with one long glance. I felt exposed and almost looked away...almost.

"This is the maiden who was used to capture my brother, but she was hurt during the process. She is dying, Father. No one but you could possess the power to save her." Thor said softly.

"I believe we should let the girl speak for herself." This time a female voice spoke up. I glanced to Odin's right to see a woman in a long beautiful golden gown watching me.

"Very well." Thor's father said. "Let her speak."

Thor gently set me on my feet, and stepped away from me. I tried my best not to sway. Whatever strength I had felt when Loki healed me was gone now. I slowly let myself sink until I was kneeling in front of the two golden figures.

"I do not know what to say." I said gazing at the floor. "Or how to address you." With that I glanced up. "I do not know where I am, or who you are."

"What _do_ you know?" The woman in the gown asked politely.

"I-" I paused unsure of how to proceed. "I do not want to die, Ma'am."

The woman gave me a searching look. I dropped my gaze back to the floor, and felt my body follow as a wash of pain flowed over me. Once again I lost my senses. I felt the pain recede, but it did not totally leave me this time. I ached so badly that it reminded me of when I had gotten the flu. I wondered if next time I would throw up. I tend to throw up if I get badly hurt.

The floor was cold. No one had helped me. I slowly pushed myself up until I wobbled back into the kneeling position. My head spun as I did so, and the spinning didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. I looked up to the golden figures once more.

"Why did you sacrifice yourself if you did not want to die?" Thor's father asked me.

There were so many ways I could answer this one. I could say that I wanted the killings to stop, that I wanted to help capture Loki to ensure a safer world, or that it was simply the right thing to do. I met his eye. "Revenge, Sir." The truth felt so corrupted compared to the others.

_Revenge?_

"What do you mean, Child?" The woman asked.

"My Father and I were visiting New York at the time. I'm not from there. But, when the alien things attacked...they shot him. Captain America saved me before they could get me too. My father was my only family, Ma'am. I got...angry." I gasped as another wave of pain hit. I forced myself to stay in my position until it passed.

"I was so angry." My voice was shaking, I could still feel it. It was still there...the rage that had consumed me when the paramedics told me that my father was gone. I remember seeing Captain America speaking to _the_ Tony Stark. They didn't have a plan of how to draw Loki's attention long enough to capture him. I remember the resolve in my voice when I said that I would do it. "That I volunteered to help the Avengers capture him. I did not think of..." I took a deep breath trying to control my voice. "I did not think of what would happen to me."

"So now you want us to-"

I lost myself. I don't know how long this one lasted. I could feel the coolness of the floor, and a horrible taste in my mouth. Oh great...I threw up. More pain. I could feel tears flowing, hot against the sudden cool of my skin. A sob ripped out of me, and another wave hit.

The next time I found my voice I called out for my father. I wanted him to save me. He didn't. Suddenly I felt hands touching either side of my face. Warm hands. I was in agony. The hands did nothing. It took me a moment to realize someone was saying something. I couldn't understand. The pain was worse this time. A new pair of hands touched my face, these held a strange strength. It was not the normal strength you would expect...something...subtler.

_You must say "I agree"._

The voice was strangely clear among the roaring in my ears. Another wave of pain. I was suddenly aware of someone on their knees beside me. Their body had been hunched over mine, the hands still on my face. As soon as I was aware of these hands they were gone and the body I sensed beside me was no longer there. Had I dreamed it?

No, I hadn't. They were against my skin once more.

_Say "I agree"._ This didn't feel like someone trying to communicate with me. I felt myself take a breath.

"I agree." My body said without me. A new pair of hands replaced the strangely strong ones. These hands were ancient. My body knew it as soon as they made contact. A dazzling warmth slammed through my senses, pushing away the pain as if it were nothing. I was nothing compared to this awesome power. I felt myself falling into a sky of gold.

"Rest, Child." A voice told me. This was a voice for commanding. I did as I was told.


	3. Chapter 3

"How long do you think she'll be out?" A soft voice broke through the thick darkness that had covered my eyes. I opened my eyes, and stifled a groan at the pain the light caused me.

"Don't know." Another voice said. "Its been a while." I blinked a few times and I realized that I was laying in a bed.

"I was told that she is royalty." The voice said sounding excited. "To think we get to serve royalty."

There was a little giggle followed by the sound of fabric being rustled. Almost the sound you get when you fan out a blanket.

"I heard that she is a favorite of Odin himself. Think of it, Bera." There was a slight pause. "Perhaps the Lady needs some fresh air. My mother always said that-"

"Again with your mother, Runa." The voice I knew now as Bera sighed. "Your mother never had the honor of serving a goddess. They are different than us, and thus require different handling. She will wake when she is ready, no sooner." There was the sound of a latch and I felt a breeze shiver its way through the room. There was the sound of feet, then a gentle click. I gasped as I sat up, my body protesting my movement. But another gasp escaped me when I saw the room itself.

Sheer curtains surrounded the bed and gently moved in the breeze. The rest of the room lay in a haze beyond them. I felt a fear of the unfamiliar surroundings, but after a few minutes my curiosity got the better of me. I pushed the rather large covers away from my body and pushed aside the curtains. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and glanced down.

The floor looked like the polished marble of Thor's father's throne room. And the temperature was around the same. For a moment I wondered if they had simply placed a bed in the throne room. I stood, and felt something brush lightly across my shins. They had put me in a dress. It was a thin white dress that felt like cotton. Nightgown, my mind supplied me. But it was a nightgown that was strapless...strange enough. It looked like an old time nightgown.

The room was cream and gold, and rather large. There were two large glass doors which stood open to show a small balcony. I took a few tentative steps towards it and my body ached.

How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was being in pain...the strange voice...the golden power. I shook my head to get rid of the images that were bombarding me. There was the sound of a door opening, and I whipped around to see a smaller woman with black hair and brown eyes. She looked just as surprised.

"My lady!" The woman swept herself into a curtsy. "I am so happy to see that you are awake." She said her eyes cast to the ground.

"Hi there." I said frowning at her strange position. "You...you don't have to do that. Who are you, by the way?" I asked her.

She straightened out of her curtsy and gave me a small smile. "I am one of your two handmaidens. I am Runa." She added with a small smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Runa." I said smiling back at her. "My name is Lillith."

Runa smiled at me and motioned to a small armchair that had a large bundle of golden fabric gently laid across it. "Your clothes are there, my Lady, and Prince Thor has requested that you should be summoned to his side as soon as you woke."

I walked over to the dress, my body still complaining, and picked it up. It was all gold silk with a corset top that had lighter golden ribbons to tie it together. It was one of the most beautiful dresses that I had ever laid a finger on. I lightly rolled the material between my fingers.

"Runa," I said calling to the woman before she left, "I know this may seem like a weird question...but how exactly do I put this on?" Runa paused in the doorway.

"Would you like me to help you, my Lady?" Runa asked taking a step inside and shutting the door behind her. I bit my lip. I was _supposed_ to be a Lady of the court, or at least that is what I picked up from Runa and Bera's banter. Yet a Lady would know how to put on a dress like this.

"I...uh..."

"Oh, my Lady, do not fret. I was told about this." Runa said taking the dress from my hands. I blinked in surprise. She began to arrange the dress in a neat little puddle on the floor. "Step here." She requested. I did as I was told and stepped into the dress. She quickly went to work moving it up and around my thin white dress, her hands expertly tugging the dress up to my chest.

"What exactly were you told?" I asked holding the dresses top to my chest to help her. She giggled the smallest bit and I felt her tug tightly on the ribbons. My breath went out in a huff.

"I was told all about you, my Lad-"

"Call me Lillith please." I said sounding slightly strained. Her fingers moved deftly up and tightened the dress even further.

"I was told all about you, Lillith. I know of your status on Midgard, and why you have come to us. I have heard of your courageous act of sacrificing yourself to save your kingdom. I also know that Midgard did not have the medicine to heal you, and that is why Prince Thor brought you here." Her hands brushed against the skin that the ribbons left bare. "There you go." She murmured stepping back.

I turned around and smiled at Runa. "Thank you, Runa."

Runa reached over and took a strand of my hair between her fingertips her expression considering. "I shall fix your hair and then you shall make haste to the throne room where Prince Thor shall be." She said guiding me to sit at a small mirror.

**Sorry for the late post, but College can make a girl busy. Thank you so much for your reviews. Once again if you like the story please do review it, and feel free to PM me anything you think would be good. Thank you once more, I hope to get another chapter out fairly soon. **

**All my love!**

**DecendentofGallifrey**


	4. Chapter 4

Runa had helped me find my way to the throne room despite my protests. She had simply waved my protests away and stated "This is my job".

My, how things have changed. I tugged on a small strand of hair that Runa had left down. How was I supposed to face those people again? I shivered the smallest bit when i remembered the bursts of pain that had put me on the floor.

"Go on, my Lady." Runa said softly behind me. "They are waiting on you." I nodded to her and turned back to the large doors. As if by magic they both slowly swung open. I took a deep breath that I could feel down to my toes, slowly let it out and walked through those large doors.

The throne room was just as magnificent as I had first remembered. Of course there were things I _hadn't_ noticed before. People milled about in the far corners of the room dressed in fine clothing to shame. I put my normal day-to-day clothing to shame. I glanced down at the extravagant dress I was wearing and felt my cheeks flare up. I always blushed when I was nervous.

"Approach the throne." A booming voice rang out. I knew this voice. I felt a sudden flash of golden energy.

I slowly walked towards the figures seated on the dais trying my best to keep my head held high. I was happy that Runa had chosen flats instead of heels...I probably would have fallen by now. Grace was _not_ one of my strong suits. I stopped a few feet away and paused unsure of what to do. Should I drop to the floor again?

"There is no need to honor us, Lady Lillith." The strange one eyed ancient man said when I began to kneel. "We have come here to honor you and your bravery."

"My...bravery?" I questioned. The man chuckled and many voices echoed his sentiments.

"Such modesty!" He laughed. I glanced around and caught a pair of sky blue eyes. Thor watched me with a polite smile, but there was a tension about his eyes that seemed out of place.

"There is no need to be so modest." The woman to the one eyed man's right said good naturedly. "The Allfather and I were both shocked when we heard of your deeds."

"Yes indeed." The person I now knew as the Allfather said. "Because of those acts we have decided to reward you."

I tried my best to keep a frown off of my face, but instead smiled and tried for a polite tone. "Such rewards are not necessary, Allfather." I said hoping to change his mind.

"Of course they are!" He cried a merry twinkle in his eye. My eyes darted to Thor, who looked very worried, and then back to the Allfather. I could feel something...a sort of pressure that had begun to build in the room in the room. I almost gasped when I realized that something here was wrong. I was supposed to be treading carefully, and that I was simply supposed to go along with this. All of this knowledge came in a rush and I hardly had the time to breathe before something landed on my bare shoulder and claws pricked my skin.

I made a tiny squeaking sound but that was drowned out by the sound of wings flapping. A raven had landed on my shoulder. I stared in shock at the bird, and it stared right back. Where in the _hell_ did it come from?

"Ah, Huginn!" The Allfather called out. For a moment I wondered who he was talking to, but the question was instantly answered. The bird was named Huginn...knowledge...that's what Huginn meant. "It seems he has taken a liking to you." The Allfather noted. Odin...his name was Odin, and he was the ruler of this place...Asgard...I was in Asgard. I blinked in shock as the foreign knowledge suddenly made itself known.

"Until we can properly honor you we humbly ask that you stay with us here." The woman said. Frigga is her name, and she is the wife of Odin.

"I would gladly stay until you honor me." I said with a small smile. I could almost feel the relief sweep through the room. I did well. But that wasn't really my thought...not really. It was more like the random facts that kept pouring into my head. Huginn could not speak, but he can impart knowledge.

"If I might have a word with the lovely Lillith?" Thor's voice boomed across the throne room. All heads turned back towards me. I should accept. Or at least that was what Huginn thought. What Huginn _knows_. I felt a darker humor bubble up inside me. From an ordinary college girl to talking to a bird in no time flat. "My Lady?" Thor questioned. I was taking too long.

"You may." I said to him trying to keep the regal tone that the entire room held. I was not royalty...not yet anyways. I blinked at the last part...it was hard to tell when Huginn was speaking to me and when it was just my thoughts. Thor walked over to me and held out an arm. I should take his arm. I glared at Huginn for a moment and I watched as he slightly ruffled his feathers. I took Thor's arm and he walked us out of the throne room.

"You did well." Thor told me as soon as we were out of hearing range. Huginn agreed.

"Huginn can talk." I blurted out, the calm facade I had been keeping crumbling. "Am I insane?" Not insane, but in a new culture. New planet new rules. "Would you _stop_ that." I snapped at the bird. Huginn simply stared at me for a moment. I needed this knowledge more than anyone else in the palace. Also Huginn liked me. Huginn was not going to stop.

"Huginn is one of my father's two ravens. Huginn is-"

"Knowledge." I said nodding. "He doesn't really talk...he sorta implants the knowledge in my head. I suddenly _know_ his opinion."

"Yes. Huginn's form of communication is different, but the very fact that you can hear him is the reason you must stay."

"What do you mean?" I asked...but I already knew. I was being held on Asgard until Odin and Frigga could determine if I was a threat to myself or others. I was now a half-breed something that no one has ever seen before. Huginn had been called in to give his information on my type, but he had none. The reason I could hear him was because I was half Asgardian. More than that when Loki hit me with his magic it attached itself to me, but when Odin saved me I also took in _his_ magic. I was a ticking time bomb of power. At least I could be, and that was reason enough. I gasped and felt Thor take on some of my weight as the knowledge suddenly hit me.

"Lady Lillith." Thor said helping me gain my footing back.

"I'm a prisoner?" I asked pulling away from his grip.

He blinked in surprise and frowned. "No, my Lady, a guest." Thor said looking genuinely confused. "A guest of the Allfather himself." He added.

"Am I allowed to leave?" I asked him, and braced myself for Huginn's answer, but my head remained silent as Thor began to speak.

"Of course you may leave, my Lady. Asgard has many wonders...all of which you can see." He beamed at me. For a scary warrior he seemed more like a big puppy to me. His smile fell as I asked my next question.

"No, I mean _leave_. Am I allowed to go home?" Thor was very quiet and I didn't need Huginn to see the answer in his blue eyes. No...I could not go home. But I had agreed to that. I glanced at Huginn. "Explain." I ordered him. His feathers ruffled, and for a moment I wondered if he was going to fly away. I had agreed to stay in Asgard twice actually. Muninn would be able to explain better than Huginn. "Wait, who is-" Odin has two ravens. Huginn which is knowledge of the now and future, and Muninn which is knowledge of the past. Huginn can tell me what _is_ and what _could_ be, but only Muninn is the only one who could tell me _why_.

"Lady Lillith, please do not think of yourself as a prisoner here. We mean only the best." I turned my attention back to Thor and felt torn. I wanted to scream and rant and rave against my fate. And yet at the same time I could see how much Thor has tried to save me. He brought me to a whole new planet just for the chance to save my life. I _owed_ these strange aliens my life. Heck, I was half Asgardian now, these weren't technically my people now.

"Thor...you've done so much. But what about my life?" I asked quietly. "Everything I've ever known is irrelevant here. "

"But, my Lady," Thor said softly eyes full of pity, "what would you have if you went back?" That fact hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt my eyes tear up almost instantly. How had I forgotten? I was in culture shock it was normal.

"Shut up, Huginn!" I managed to choke out. Huginn was worried about me. I felt him lightly grip my shoulder tighter. Huginn had a strange affection for me, and he wasn't sure why. He did not like this. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and wished fiercely that I couldn't hear Huginn. There was a spark deep down, and the warmth that it had created began to ebb and flow inside of me. It reminded me almost of a tide of white noise. As suddenly as it had appeared it faded. And the horror and sorrow descended once more.

"You're right." I deadpanned. "I don't have anything left on Earth. There's no reason to go back. Even my friends...my friends will think I'm dead."

"I am here for you, my Lady." Thor said softly. Huginn was there for me as well. I was not alone. I fought the tears that threatened to spill over. I was _not_ going to cry in front of them. Thor hesitantly took a step towards me, and then another. He was going to attempt to hug me. I almost glanced at Huginn. I was going to let him.

Thor wrapped his arms around me and I relaxed into his warm embrace. I couldn't help it. I needed it. I heard the sound of wings. Something skittered on the ground near my feet.

"Thank you, Thor." I whispered. My face was pressed against his armor so it came out a bit muffled. I felt him chuckle a little and hug me a bit tighter.

"It is my pleasure, Lady Lillith."

"I have a question." I asked him pulling away slightly. There was a slightly angry clicking sound near my feet and I glanced down and saw Huginn on the floor glaring at us. My letting Thor hug me must have knocked him off of his perch. I couldn't feel any of the bursts of information his communication came with.

"What is the question?" Thor asked catching my attention once more. I pushed the sorrow down and away from me.

"Why do you all keep calling me 'Lady'?" I asked studying Thor's face. He smiled at me, and I wondered how I had come to this.

"You were given the title after Odin healed you. He dubbed you a Lady of the court. You were not conscious during that time were you?" He asked. I felt a laugh bubble up.

"Not at all." I gave a sheepish grin. "To be honest its hard to remember most of it. I remember the pain." I added as an afterthought. The more I tried to remember the day before the further it slipped from my mind.

"Would you like a tour of the palace?" Thor suddenly asked effectively knocking me out of my train of thought. He let go of me and took a step back offering his arm once more. There was the sound of wings and Huginn once again perched on my shoulder.

"I'd love one." I said taking Thor's offered arm. Huginn thought that this was a good idea. I should know my way around the palace. It would come in handy soon. I glanced at him confused but he fell suddenly silent, his eyes far away. I felt a smile crack my face. I was worrying about the musings of a bird. Thor beamed at me and for the first time since waking up I beamed right back.


	5. Chapter 5

**I know that this chapter is very late in coming...Writer's Block is horrible...but now that I'm past this part I'll be fine. Thank you all so much for your support and thank you to those who have reviewed. It really helps me write when I know people actually want to see more. :D Okay hope you enjoy, I'll have a new chapter up ASAP. I promise to make myself. **

This was not a good idea. I rolled my eyes and continued down the darkened hallway. Huginn dug his claws further into my shoulder. I sighed.

"If you don't like it, then don't come." I said glancing at the strange bird. Thor will be looking for us. I paused and leaned against the hallway. "Thor is always looking for me." I should be grateful that Thor has kept me company in the first place. "Of course I'm grateful for his company...yours too. I just..." I paused and felt the light burning of unshed tears. "Sometimes people need time to themselves, and right now I really need it."

Thor had kept me busy, and kept thoughts of what had happened at bay, but a person can't repress something forever. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling of the cool stone against my back. Huginn understood. A moment later Huginn flew away back the way we came. I was alone. The knowledge hit me like a brick and I felt the tears that I had been holding back all of this time slide down my face. I shouldn't have let Huginn leave. Thor was right to be doing what he had been doing, because my emotions were tearing me apart.

A buzzing began to invade my body, and my lungs felt starved for air. Why couldn't I breathe? It was then I realized that I had been sobbing, and not the pretty girl sobbing either. The buzzing began to increase to the point where it was hard to think past it. The buzzing grew and mutated until it took over everything. I gasped and distantly felt my body hit the ground. Then all at once the feeling changed, it went from an overwhelming buzzing to a sort of coolness that drifted beneath my skin. I sat up trying to pull air into my starved lungs. Across the hall from me a small golden symbol glowed softly. I pulled myself onto my feet and walked slowly towards it. The symbol was strange; it was a little snake that was eating itself. It almost reminded me of the amulet in the Neverending Story. I lightly reached out and touched the darkened middle, and squeaked in shock when golden curls burst away from my finger. The golden light swirled outwards until it formed the shape of a door, the stone between the swirls of light faded, and with a final burst the light itself faded leaving a doorway into what seemed to be a large chamber, lit by white and gold light. The cold that had been drifting underneath my skin shivered as if in recognition of whatever lies ahead. I turned, and faced the darkened hallway, but found its darkness to be intimidating instead of the comfort it had been when I began my little adventure.

It was times like this that I missed the little things. For example a cellphone to light the path, or to call someone to come and get me. I turned back around, and with the darkness at my back I felt like a little kid again. That moment when you head down the hallway at night, a hallway that you've walked down a thousand times...you know every single detail of that hallway, but when the lights are off it feels as though some dark force is creeping towards you with ill intent. I quickly walked, almost jogged, into the lit room.

There was a bedroom. The mere fact that there was a bedroom in the back of this large place struck me as odd. The second thing that I found odd was the lightly glowing glass that cut this bedroom off from the rest of the room. The bedroom was raised up a bit from the rest of the floor. I walked towards the glass wall until I was about three feet away.

"You survived." A voice I knew all too well said softly. My eyes darted to see acid green eyes boring into my own. Loki sat in a corner of his cage, hair untamed, and a book in his lap. I took a step backwards, the silver dress I was wearing threatening to tangle around my legs. "I'm surprised."

"I could say the same." I said finally finding my voice.

He laughed harshly, a madness shining in his eyes that had not been so prominent when I first saw him. "Odin did all he could, but your continued existence was ultimately up to you." He placed the book beside him and stood in one graceful move. It was the grace of a predator.

I tried to keep a strong face, but all I could see when I looked at him was the death of my father, the loss of my friends, and the imprisonment from my planet. His face held for me all of the horrors of the world. I turned and began to head for the door, but the laugh that my departure elicited from him made me freeze in my tracks. I tasted hate on the back of my tongue, it was metallic. I turned around my dress flaring with the sudden movement. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, so many things that I wanted to scream, but at that moment his eyes drifted beyond my shoulder and widened. I turned just in time to be hit in the face. The pain was explosive, my vision blurred, but I caught myself before I hit the ground. I forced myself to focus on the figure that hit me, and felt fear curl in the depths of my stomach. It was an alien...the same kind that had killed my father. Chitauri , that was the name Huginn called them. It pulled out a blade from its belt and made a strange chattering noise at me. I began to back up until I felt the glass wall...more like a wall of energy...hit my back. I couldn't breathe. The Chitauri leapt towards me, and in a last ditch effort I threw out my hand to ward off it's blow.

The cool feeling that had been drifting underneath my skin suddenly spiked and blasted out of my open palm. I didn't know what to do I just wanted to be safe. There was a small shockwave that shoved me into Loki's wall. The wall was buzzing underneath my fingertips, and where my fingers touched the wall began to dissolve away. My hand slid through only to hit another barrier...this one was living. I pulled myself backwards not sure what to do. Everything was moving so fast...

I twisted back around to see that the Chitauri was on the floor, strange colored blood leaking onto the floor. Something grabbed onto the ribbons that held the dress to my back and pulled me backwards. I twisted, and heard Loki lightly grunt and the hand let go. I reached out towards the wall once more and pushed one thought at it. _Close._ Loki made a small pained sound and I watched as he jerked his hand back into the prison just as the wall sealed itself.

I backed away from his cage almost tripping down the small drop off. He was staring at me. I heard a familiar pair of wings and I almost cried out in relief when Huginn soared into the room. I reached out towards him, and in a move that we had actually practiced he landed on my outstretched hand.

Odin was coming with a very large number of guards. They thought that had Loki broken out. Huginn was worried about me. Thor was coming as well. I had a large bruise blooming on my face and a cut that was lightly bleeding. The Chitauri that was lying on the floor was an assassin...it would not be the last. I gasped holding my free hand to my head. "Huginn slow down!" Huginn could not slow down, I had a minute at the least before Odin came in. I would be questioned. I wasn't supposed to even be here. Huginn wondered how I got to the enchanted cell in the first place. My head was throbbing...I could have a concussion. "Huginn please!"

"Lady Lillith!" Thor was the first to enter the room. His voice was over lapping with the constant stream of information that Huginn was trying to give me. I must have magic. No one thought that it would be possible. I hadn't shown signs of it at all. "You are injured!" Thor was already grabbing my arm and pulling me to him, all the while shielding me from the sight of the dead body. I could hear so many pairs of boots running towards us now. Odin suddenly appeared in the doorway, and Huginn felt the call that he put out. Huginn left my hand and landed on Odin's shoulder.

"Lady Lillith, you were attacked." Odin said calmly, as if he dealt with this stuff all the time. As my head started to really throb I wished I could just be in my room snuggled up in my favorite blanket watching Sherlock. "An assassin?" He glanced at Huginn in surprise. "Really now?" I found myself trying to distance myself from everyone. They were all so noisy... I found myself seeking solace a calm point among the chaos. I almost froze when I met Loki's eyes. I felt the hatred rise up again, I wanted nothing more than to strike the look of calculation off of his face. All of this was his fault, everything that happened to me was because of him.

"Lady Lillith." A voice broke me out of my daze and I jerked my gaze away from Loki. I turned back to Thor, and he motioned at his father. I turned to look at Odin. "How did you kill the assassin?" Odin asked bluntly.

I frowned to myself, and once again took notice of the cool feeling that once more drifted lazily just under my skin. I remembered the feeling as the cool seemed to increase and gather up in my body, how chaotic it felt as it began to bounce around my body. I blinked watched in horror as a strange light began to drift around my body. It was a mixture of green and gold with silver sparking throughout. I could feel the entire room take in a breath. "He was going to kill me, and this happened." I answered finally.

"It seems our troubles are just beginning." Odin mused stroking his white beard. "If Huginn's information is correct this assassin will be only the beginning. Someone wants you dead." He told me looking me in the eyes. "Not only that, but it seems you have attained magical powers. Without training you will be a danger to yourself and everyone around you, but you will also need to be protected at all times." Odin then paused and his eye widened the smallest bit. "Tomorrow we will hold a ceremony that you _must_ attend. All will be resolved then." He nodded to himself.

Just like that I was ushered out of the prison cell. Thor kept a close eye on me and he guided us to the kitchens where he made me eat a bit before he dropped me off at my room. I felt like a highschooler who got caught sneaking out, and now I was grounded. I sighed and sat on my bed, picking up the Asgardian fairy tale book that Thor had brought me a few days ago. I read and tried to forget the impending ceremony that would fix everything.


End file.
